Deutsche Bahn’s new ICE plant will be finished in 2024

ICE 4 Baureihe 412 im ICE Werk Köln-Nippes

The new train plant of Deutsche Bahn in Cottbus will be finished two years earlier than planned: the first ICE trains will be serviced in 2024. Construction of the plant in Brandburg, which will create at least 500 jobs, will start in 2022.

In the new plant, Deutsche Bahn’s Intercity Express trains can be serviced for maintenance. Preparing works for the construction for the new plant,  such as exploring the subsoil, are already underway.

The plant is financed on the basis of a scheme called the Federal Structural Strengthening Act. The federal and state governments are supporting the regions affected by the coal phase-out. In Brandenburg, this translates to a new modern facility for rolling stock maintenance.

ICE 4 maintenance

The new plant will be based on a two-hall concept. Instead of a large maintenance hall with six tracks, a double-track hall will initially be built. Another hall with four tracks will follow by 2026. With this concept, parts of the new plant will be put into operation earlier. This means that the capacities for the maintenance of the new ICE 4 trains are available more quickly. Entire ICE trains of almost 400 metres in length can be serviced in both halls.

When the new plant will be up and running, trains will back on the route faster, are more reliable and therefore more punctual, according to DB. This is an essential building block on the way to further increasing the number of long-distance passengers. DB is currently receiving a new ICE 4 every three weeks. The fleet currently comprises almost 80 trains. By the end of 2024, 137 ICE 4 trains are to be in use across Germany.

Hybrid locomotives

Deutsche Bahn originally planned to also build a new hall for hybrid locomotives in Cottbus. This will now be integrated into the existing plant. In the course of the preliminary planning, it turned out that this enables more efficient production processes, says the company.

The new plant is financed on the basis of the Coal Regions Investment Act. The costs of the investment amount to 1 billion euros. With this law, the federal government and the federal states support the regions affected by the coal phase-out in Brandenburg, the Free State of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and North Rhine-Westphalia in building sustainable jobs and new economic structures.

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Author: Esther Geerts

Former Editor RailTech.com

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Deutsche Bahn’s new ICE plant will be finished in 2024 | RailTech.com

Deutsche Bahn’s new ICE plant will be finished in 2024

ICE 4 Baureihe 412 im ICE Werk Köln-Nippes

The new train plant of Deutsche Bahn in Cottbus will be finished two years earlier than planned: the first ICE trains will be serviced in 2024. Construction of the plant in Brandburg, which will create at least 500 jobs, will start in 2022.

In the new plant, Deutsche Bahn’s Intercity Express trains can be serviced for maintenance. Preparing works for the construction for the new plant,  such as exploring the subsoil, are already underway.

The plant is financed on the basis of a scheme called the Federal Structural Strengthening Act. The federal and state governments are supporting the regions affected by the coal phase-out. In Brandenburg, this translates to a new modern facility for rolling stock maintenance.

ICE 4 maintenance

The new plant will be based on a two-hall concept. Instead of a large maintenance hall with six tracks, a double-track hall will initially be built. Another hall with four tracks will follow by 2026. With this concept, parts of the new plant will be put into operation earlier. This means that the capacities for the maintenance of the new ICE 4 trains are available more quickly. Entire ICE trains of almost 400 metres in length can be serviced in both halls.

When the new plant will be up and running, trains will back on the route faster, are more reliable and therefore more punctual, according to DB. This is an essential building block on the way to further increasing the number of long-distance passengers. DB is currently receiving a new ICE 4 every three weeks. The fleet currently comprises almost 80 trains. By the end of 2024, 137 ICE 4 trains are to be in use across Germany.

Hybrid locomotives

Deutsche Bahn originally planned to also build a new hall for hybrid locomotives in Cottbus. This will now be integrated into the existing plant. In the course of the preliminary planning, it turned out that this enables more efficient production processes, says the company.

The new plant is financed on the basis of the Coal Regions Investment Act. The costs of the investment amount to 1 billion euros. With this law, the federal government and the federal states support the regions affected by the coal phase-out in Brandenburg, the Free State of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and North Rhine-Westphalia in building sustainable jobs and new economic structures.

Read more:

Author: Esther Geerts

Former Editor RailTech.com

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.